Mobile Technologies and Empowerment: Enhancing human development through participation and innovation

by United Nations Development Programme, 2012

Mobile technologies are opening new channels of communication between people and governments, potentially offering greater access to public information and basic services to all. No other technology has been in the hands of so many people in so many countries in such a short period of time (World Bank 2008). In fact, globally, more people now have access to a mobile device than to justice or legal services (UNDP 2008). Recent estimates indicate that ICTs could be accessible to everyone by 2015 and bring internationally agreed development targets ever closer to achievement (ITU 2010). Indeed, we are witnessing a new wave of democratization of access to innovative ICT channels, propelled by state-of-the-art technologies and diminishing barriers to entry.

For the executive summary and PDF copy of the full text of this report, visit Mobile Technologies and Empowerment: Enhancing human development through participation and innovation | E-governance and Access to Information.